Disposable ash receiving receptacle



I 14, BRUMBY HAL v DISPOSABLE ASH RECEIVING RECEPTACLE Filed Aug. 16,1955 /6 Azggusmliiflrumbg {5 a Anne BJiIezyem BY I Ei fig ,MQjMATTORNEYS;

W 5'. INVENTORS V DISPOSABLE ASH RECEIVING RECEPTACLE Augusta K. Brumby,Coral Gables, and Anne B. Mergen, Miami, Fla.

Application August 16, 1955, Serial No. 528,740

Claims. (Cl. 229-1.5)

This invention relates generally to a disposable ash receivingreceptacle. More specifically, the invention is directed to an ashreceiving receptacle having a collapsible pocket formed of asemi-flexible fire-resistant material such as metal foil which hassufficient rigidity to be self-supporting so that such pocket will tendto remain closed in its collapsed state and remain open for use whenopened by an intended user. Further, the invention is directed to adisposable ash receiving receptacle including a collapsible pocketformed of a material as described above and secured to a sheet ofabsorbent material which may be engaged with the exterior surface of adrinking glass to support the pocket on such glass and absorb moisturewhich collects on the exterior of such glass.

At social gatherings it very often is impractical to provide separateash trays for the guests present to dispose of ashes from theircigarettes and cigars, as well as cigarette and cigar butts. Suchproblem becomes particularly acute in instances where groups at a partytend to congregate while standing, finding it necessary to have at handan ash tray for disposal of ashes from their cigarettes or cigars. Thesituation is additionally complicated by having to hold a glasscontaining a beverage refreshment in addition to the ash tray.

The impracticality of providing individual ash trays of the moreconventional type for each guest and the inconvenience to the guest inhaving to keep such ash tray immediately at hand, has given rise to theneed for a disposable ash tray which may be produced at a relatively lowcost so that each guest who is inclined to smoke may be provided with ameans of disposal of ashes, etc. To alleviate the necessity for handlinga separate article in addition to the drinking glass which the guesthas, it is desirable that the disposable ash receiving receptacle beadapted to be conveniently associated with such drinking glass so thatan ash receptacle is readily available, positioned on the side of thedrinking glass for use as the need arises. Such positioning of the ashreceptacle necessitates a construction wherein the beverage contained inthe drinking glass may be consumed without the unintentional emptying ofthe ash receptacle.

To overcome the problems as outlined hereinabove, it is a principalobject of the instant invention to provide a disposable ash receivingreceptacle including a collapsible pocket, which pocket is characterizedby having sufiicient rigidity in walls thereof to retain the pocket openfor reception of cigarette and cigar ashes, etc., or closed to retainsuch ashes for ready disposal.

It is another object of this invention to provide a sheet of materialhaving a collapsible pocket carried thereby with such pocket havingwalls constructed of semi-flexible fire-resistant material possessingsufficient rigidity to retain atent ice the mouth of said pocket closedwhen the pocket is collapsed and holding the mouth open when the pocketis opened by the intended user, and which sheet. of material is adaptedto be engaged with the exterior of a drinking glass to position thepocket with respect to such glass for use as an ash disposal receptacle.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a disposable ashreceiving receptacle having a sheet of absorbent material with an ashreceiving pocket carried thereby, wherein said pocket has Wallsconstructed of a semi-flexible fire-resistant material possessingsufiicient rigidity to retain the mouth of the pocket closed when suchpocket is collapsed, and open when the pocket is opened by the intendeduser.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a disposable ashreceiving receptacle including a sheet of absorbent material with asheet of semi-flexible fire-resistant material secured thereto with thelatter sheet having overlapping folds closed at one end to form a pocketopen at the opposite end and wherein said pocket has folds made of amaterial such as metal foil which is self-supporting and will retain thepocket open to receive ashes, etc., or closed to retain such ashes fordisposal.

The above and other more specific objects of the instant invention willbe apparent by reference to the hereinafter set forth description of anembodiment of the invention as illustrated on the accompanying drawing.It will be recognized that Within the scope of the appended claims, theinvention may be incorporated into a wide variety of differentconstructions other than that specifically illustrated on the drawing.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing the disposable ash receivingreceptacle of the instant invention positioned on the exterior of adrinking glass;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the disposable ash receivingreceptacle;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, there is shown thereon amore or less conventional drinking glass it), having the disposable ashreceiving receptacle of the instant invention positioned thereon. Thedisposable receptacle includes a sheet of material in the form of anelongated strip 12 which in being engaged with glass It is wrappedaround the glass so that the ends overlap, as shown at 13 on Figure 2.

Disposed intermediate the ends of elongated strip 12, and preferablynearer one end of such strip, thereis provided a collapsible pocket 14.This pocket is constructed of a semi-flexible fire-resistant materialsuch as metal foil which possesses sufficient rigidity so as to be, ineffect, self-supporting. Thus, the pocket, by reason of the nature ofthe material of which it is constructed, will tend to remain open onceopened by an intended user for disposal of ashes, etc., and likewisewhen collapsed by the user will remain closed to retain the ashes whichhave been dispensed thereinto. Although metal foil has been found to beideally suited for use in construction of pocket 14, since it possessesboth the necessary fire-resistant and semi-flexible characteristicsrequired for the pocket, it will be recognized that within the scope ofthis invention other materials may be employed which possess these 7shown-more clearly in Figure j,by being interfolded at 17; and 18 toform seams extending longitudinally of the-,top,

and bottom of summers;

As shown,theouter sheet 16 is. of v the material which is used informationlof ocket 14. Informing the pocket 14, sheet'16 is folded at20, 21, 22and 23 toform apair;

of overlapping folds sothatthcrease at Ell-overlies the crease at 23 andvice v ersa The overlapping folds thus function as the inner,walllofpocket 14, whereas the portion 24 intermediatethe creases at 2iand 22 serves,

as the outer Wall ofsuch pocket., To complete the bot; tom of the"pockejt, fthe overlapping folds are folded, at

one 'edgeof sheet 16 into. seam lib Such closing of one end' of'the'overlappingportion forms the bottom of pocket 14,.whereasthe oppositeend remains open so that the pocket may be opened to the. position asshown more. clearly in Figuresil and 2, and also in phantom view inFigure 4i i A I In 'use,'.the device. of the instant invention isadapted to be po-sitio'ne'diori, a drinking glass as shown in Figures 1'a'nd'2, so that/the sheet of absorbent material l is in direct contactwith the glass, and functions as a coaster or soaker,ab'sorbingmoisturewhich collects on the exterior of the glas's'.' Such positioning of thedevice on a drinkingglass alsoproperly locates pocket 14, sothat theelongated mdiit'h'thereof faces upwardly. Thus by grasping portion 24offthe pocket, the pocket may be opened to'receivefashesgete, which .ar etobe discharged thereinto. M

Whilethe; glass is being hel d upright, the person hol d. ing such glassretains the disposable ash. receiving receptacle of the instantinvention on the glass much in the manner as a napkin may be employed toabsorb moisture whichtends to condenseon the exterior of a glasscontaining a chilled beverage At. such times as the contents.

of the glass are to be. consjurn e d, the pocket 14 is collapsed bymerely applying pressure to the portion 24 thereof, so

that any ashes in.; such. pocket will. be retained without spillingduring tipping to consume the beverageinthe glass. Further, pocket 14provides aneifective place for disposal and extinguishing of cigarettebutts, since by merely closing the pocket withthe butt containedtherein, air is cut off and the cigarette is rapidly extinguished. Inview of the, inexpensive;constructionof the disposable ash receivingreceptacle of the; instant invention, the en-.

tiredeyice may be discarded- When it has served its function and a newdevice substituted In the 'embodiment illustratcd on the drawing, only asingle. specific constructionhas been shown] It will be readily.recognized that withinthescope of .the. ir1stant invention, a widevariety of modificationsmay be incorporated without departing-from thespirit, of .this. invention.

If desired, the sheets '15and16neednot -be interfolded to form seams 17and 18, althoughby suchvinterfolding the upper seam 17. doesfacilitate'grasping of'the upper lip of pocket 14 to open thepoc'ket foruse. Instead, the'two sheets maybe cemented or otherwise securedtogether. In such case, thebottom of the'pocket could'be' closed bycementing the overlapping, folds. Also a particular formof'pocket'hasbeen shown on the drawing with the pocket having agenerally rectangular configuration. The

pocket may be other than rectangular in shape,"a's"10ng' asit is'securedto the sheet ofmaterial which supports it on the drinking glass, in'sucha manner that the pocket may be readily openedand'closed, with thematerial be the walls of the pocket functioning to retain the pocketopened or closed, depending upon the state to which it is moved. It maybe further noted that although as shown, the entire pocket is formed ofa semi-flexible fire-resistant material such as metal foil, only aportion of the pocket need be constructed of such a material as long asthe pocket as a whole possesses the characteristics of beingfire-resistant and self-supporting to retain the pocket opened or closedas desired by the user, without necessitating the users holding thepocket in the desired state.

Additionally, it will be recognized that an extra portion of absorbentsheet material 15 may be provided, over and above that which backs.sheebld as illustrated on the drawing so that. such. excess absorbentsheet materialmay hang down beneath the elongated strip 12'. This excessportion of the..absQr-bent..;sheet material; in. use..cf;. the device,may be tucked .understhe bottom of the glass to absorb moisturewhichcollects adjacent the, lower portion of the glass and therebyefiectively provide a coaster for the glass.

A further advantage attributable to the disposable ash receivingreceptacle of the instant invention, is the fact that the pocket thereofand the device as a whole may bea-t'oldedjflat This facilitatespackaging of a plurality of thedevicescfor sale, and accordingly,reduces the expenseofshipping andstoringa quantity of the devicesHaving, thus describedour invention, whatwe claim is:

LIA. disposableash. receiving receptacle and flexiblesupporting sheettherefor. comprising in combination an elongated .flexible, sheet ofmaterial engageable inband like ,relatio-n. around the. exterior curvedsurface of a drinking;glass,.a collapsible pocket on saidsheet andhaying.an.elongated'mouthopening toward one sideedge of said sheet.and/upwardly when .saidsheet is engaged with a drinking glass. with.said..mouth extending a distancearound thecircumferenceof the glass,said pocket having.

wallsthereof constructed ofa substantially nonresilient semiflexible.fire-resistant. material which possesses sufiicient;,self-supporting.rigidity torretain the mouth of saidpocketrclosedwhenthe pocket is. collapsed byvpressing itinto. engagement Withthe curved surface of the glass on open when the to absorb a drinkingglass to absorb moisture which collects on the. exterior of a. glass, asheet of substantially nonresilient semi-flexible.fire-resistantmaterial secured to said sheet oftabsorbent paper and having sufiicientrigidity to be self-supporting in the absence of forces tending to bendsuch: material, said sheet of material having a pair of overlappingfolds extending transversely thereof with one end of such folds beingclosed to form the bottom of a pocket; said pocket opening toward oneside edge of said sheets and outwardlyof the end of said folds oppositesaid one end with the pocket mouth extending a distance around thecircumference of the glass, and said folds permitting opening andcollapsing of saidpocket relative to said sheet of absorbent paper.

4. A disposable-ash receiving receptacle as recited. in claim 3, whereinsaid semi-flexible fire-resistant material is metal foil.

5'. A disposableash receiving receptacle andfiexible supporting sheettherefor comprising in combinatioiran elongated flexible sheet ofabsorbent paper engageable in band lilcerelation around .the exteriorcurved surface of sheet adjacent the upper end of said pocket only at arecited in glass and,

portion generally midway of the side edges of said pocket to facilitateopening and closing of said pocket while supported by said flexiblesheet on the exterior curved surface of a drinking glass, said pockethaving an elongated mouth opening toward one side edge of said sheet andupwardly when said sheet is engaged with a drinking glass with saidmouth extending a distance around the circumference of a glass, saidpocket having walls thereof constructed of a substantially nonresilient,semi-flexible, fire-resistant material which possesses sufficientself-supporting rigidity to retain the mouth of said pocket closed whenthe pocket is collapsed by pressing it into engagement with the curvedsurface of a glass on which it is carried, and hold References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,449,335 Latham Mar, 20,1923 1,722,465 Gray July 30, 1929 2,298,146 Mersbach Oct. 6, 19422,285,341 Lyon June 2, 1942 2,506,962 Madan May 9, 1950 2,568,623 HanonSept. 18, 1951 2,646,200 Atkins July 21, 1953

